It’s an interim title, but a title nonetheless. Renan Barao dominated Urijah Faber for five rounds on Saturday to win the UFC’s interim bantamweight belt, which was up for grabs with champion Dominick Cruz on the shelf following knee surgery. Barao cruised to win a unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 50-45 and 49-46.

The interim bantamweight title fight served as the main event of Saturday’s UFC 149 event at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

It was apparent early in the five-round title fight that Barao’s strategy was similar to that of Aldo’s when he fought Faber in the WEC – do damage to Faber with leg kicks. And though Barao didn’t do nearly the damage to Faber that Aldo did in April 2010, it still was a game plan that Faber could find little answer for.

Barao was able to land significant strikes in each round, sometimes with highlight-reel potential behind them. And though Faber never was in true danger, he found it hard to get inside on Barao and do any real damage himself.

Faber didn’t attempt a full-fledged takedown until midway through the third round, but he couldn’t land it. And though he was able to score some points with his counter-strikes, he never was able to get any real momentum going offensively.

“I knew he was good at keeping distance, and he was able to keep his kicks from pretty far out,” Faber said. “I knew he was tough. He hurt me pretty early with a knee to the rib, and I think I might have a broken rib. It was nothing like Aldo. Aldo really took my leg apart. I felt (Barao’s) kicks for sure, but it wasn’t the same thing.”

Barao jumped up and down and ran across the octagon shouting after the scores were read, then rubbed the interim belt as UFC president Dana White put it around his waist.

“I came very well prepared for everything,” Barao said through his translator. “I knew Faber was a great athlete and a great fighter. But I prepared myself very well, and that was the result. My coaches told me to keep [kicking the legs], but it was not only that.”

Barao (29-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) had his amazing unbeaten streak extended to 30 fights with 29 wins and a no contest over that stretch. Faber (26-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) again goes back to the drawing board, losing for the fifth straight time in a title fight – three featherweight title losses in the WEC and two bantamweight title losses in the UFC.

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